XADM: Troubleshooting Setup Problems Joining an Existing Site

MORE INFORMATION

During the replication phase of the Setup program, the protocols listed in the Server Binding Order are used to locate the existing Microsoft Exchange Server and complete replication.

By default, TCP/IP is the first protocol in the Server Binding Order.

TCP/IP resolves names in the following order:

1. Using the local HOSTS file.
2. Using a DNS Server.
3. Looking at the NetBIOS cache.
4. Using a WINS server.
5. Broadcasting.
6. Looking at the local LMHOSTS file.

The following instructions assume that you are running the Microsoft Exchange Setup program on Server A, and you are trying to contact the computer running Microsoft Exchange Server, Server B.

To see if you are having problems resolving the name of the computer running Microsoft Exchange Server:

1. From Server A, ping Server B (use the server name and not an IP address).
   
   If the ping succeeds, note the IP address that is returned and compare it to the actual IP address of Server B. This is important because you may have incorrect entries in the HOSTS/LMHOSTS file or a DNS may have incorrect information.
   
   If the Ping fails, you need to make sure that one of the name resolution methods mentioned earlier can resolve the server name. The easiest way to complete the installation is to add entries for the other server in the local HOSTS file on Server A and Server B.
2. If the ping succeeds, then from Server B, ping Server A. If the ping succeeds, compare the IP address returned by the Ping program with the actual IP address of Server A. If this is not the same, it can cause the Microsoft Exchange Server Setup program to stop during the replication phase with the error message listed in the "Symptoms" section.

If the name resolution works fine, but you are still unable to join a site:

1. Make sure that you are logged on to Windows NT on Server A as a Domain Administrator.
2. Make sure that the account logged on to Server A has the Permissions Admin privilege on the Organization, Site, and Configuration containers on the existing Exchange site. To do this, run Microsoft Exchange Administrator program against Server B and check the properties of the Organization, Site, and Configuration containers.
3. Use the Rpingc32.exe and Rpings.exe programs to verify remote call procedure (RPC) connectivity between Server A and Server B.
4. If Rping32.exe does not verify the RPC connectivity, use the Windows NT utility, Tracert.exe, to determine all the routers between Server A and Server B. Some routers may be configured to block access to certain ports. This will prevent access to the Microsoft Exchange directory on Server B.
   
   If you have routers configured to block access to ports above a certain number, you need to configure the Directory and Information Store on Server B to use predefined Ports and then configure the routers to allow access to these ports.
5. Determine the network topology between the two servers in question. The communication between two FDDI rings through an Ethernet segment may not work when you use TCP/IP and any FDDI network interface card (NIC). To resolve this behavior, set the MTU size on the Windows NT Servers to the Ethernet segment's MTU size.
   
   You can detect this situation by looking at a network trace of the communication between the two servers. If any server is sending out packets larger than the Ethernet segment's MTU size, communication between the two servers will not work.

Install the Microsoft Exchange Server Administrator program only from the Exchange Server Setup program. To do this,

1. Run setup.exe, and then click Accept on the first dialog box.
2. Click Custom install, and then click only the Exchange Administrator program option. Make sure the other options are cleared.
3. Select the path you want. At this point, the Administrator program will be installed.
4. Start the Administrator program, and then click the server that you want to join the site.
   
   If the procedure does not work and you receive a "DS_E_Communications_Problem" error, either name resolution or network problems are involved, such as locked ports, blackhole routers, packet loss, and so on. Use the following name resolution troubleshooting:
   • A "DS_E_INSUFFICIENT_ACCESS_RIGHTS" error is a security problem. The account that is logged on does not have administrative rights at the site and configuration levels. Log back on with an account with correct rights.
   • If the administrator program cannot connect and fully administer the remote server, then there may be a very unusual network problem involved, and you may have to perform a network trace to determine the problem.